There have been better parties, it must be said. Ones with good entertainment and plenty of enjoyment. Usually there is something to cheer and here Leicester City were supposed to be celebrating promotion to the Barclays Premier League.

Instead Brighton & Hove Albion showed up. They didn’t just poop the party, they made off with all cake and all the bubbly to leave a distinctly flat feeling for most at the King Power Stadium.

Leonardo Ulloa’s fourth goal 10 minutes from time prompted a noticeable number of Leicester fans to make for the exits. ‘Where were you when we were s***?’ questioned some of the vast majority who remained. ‘Loyal supporters,’ they added.

Party pooper: Stephen Ward celebrates after giving Brighton the lead against newly promoted Leicester

Ward stoops to score a headed goal for Brighton and shock league leaders Leicester

Loan ranger: Jesse Lingard, on loan from Man United, scored a second goal to increase Brighton's lead

But almost out of defiance the
atmosphere turned into something more positive and when Gary
Taylor-Fletcher grabbed a consolation in the 89th minute the crowd
roared as if the goal had clinched promotion itself.

But
those scored by Ulloa, Stephen Ward and Jesse Lingard were actually of
consequence. This emphatic win for Brighton closed the gap on Reading in
the final play-off spot to just two points.

Oscar
Garcia may be considering his future at the club, frustrated as he is
with transfer dealings, but a place in the Premier League would surely
change his mind.

Brighton
looked like the team heading for the top-flight, ending champions-elect
Leicester’s 21-match unbeaten run with a display that clinically seized
on their opponent’s lethargy. The south coast side had started it too,
being the last to inflict defeat on Nigel Pearson’s table-toppers way
back on December 7.

The
streets around the ground were full of Leicester fans looking to soak up
some of the success achieved by their club over the weekend.

Pearson
admitted in his programme notes he had not expected to enter this game
already promoted – he drove to a family gathering with the radio off
while the decisive results were going Leicester’s way on Saturday – but
now challenged his team to win all remaining six games and go up as
champions.

That finished at
the first hurdle, ending any chance Leicester might overhaul Reading’s
record Championship total of 106 points accrued in 2005-06.

Leicester could not find any fluidity and lacked alertness in defence. Brighton, on the other hand, were rampant.